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Helping Samuel

Aug 23, 2011 | By Gillian FitzGerald

Every now and then we hear a tale that touches our hearts and compels us to reach out and help others. Samuel Stirling Andrews is one such story, which we, at Little Heroes, are honored to assist in and hope you will be to.

Samuel Stirling Andrew has sparkling eyes and a smile that beams. He loves to play and has a mischievous sense of humour. But Samuel suffers from a rare immune deficiency disorder called Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD). Samuel's white blood cells can't kill the day-to-day bacteria and fungus we are often exposed to, making him highly prone to infection and subsequent organ failure.

Samuel has been hospitalized six times. He had endured multiple CT scans, x-rays, MRIs, bone scans, biopsies and other procedures. He lives on daily doses of antibiotic and anti-fungal medicine, with thrice-weekly injections to boost his immune system. Samuel is not even two years old.

The only cure for Samuel is bone marrow transplant, which he is receiving late this month at the Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona. But the cost of the transplant, extensive recovery hospitalization period and follow-up medications and chemotherapy treatments, is dear and beyond the reach of his parents.

So along with other interested persons, we are helping raise funds to help Samuel grow into the healthy Little Hero he was meant to be. We urge you to do the same too.If you are interested in finding out more, getting involved or making a donation to help Sam, please visit his charity website, Help Samuel, and help spread the word by linking to his page at Facebook.com.